Kid Picnic Table

The kid has one of those big play sets to climb around in and swing on. Great for getting time outside. It has an area I thought would be great for a table, both for projects, spending time outside but out of the sun and as a meal area for kids to sit at when we have friends over. Looking around you could get the standard plastic stuff (which isn’t cheap) or wood (even less cheap). So I thought about building one. Then I found Ana White’s site (when she says home-maker she means it!), which has lots of great projects and free plans (really check it out at your own peril) and found this. Not particularly complicated (nor should this particular project be), Ana provides the dimensions and angles and supply list.

Took me a couple of hours to cut and assemble – wasn’t particularly rushing and I hadn’t recharged my drill batteries so was working against myself there. I lucked out and the store had high quality 2×4’s in stock and so those needed minimal work. 2×6’s were not the same shape and needed a lot of sanding and still are a little pock-marked. Painting took me a second half-day. As with similar projects – I knew I should paint prior to assembly but didn’t which makes nooks and crannies tougher to paint and leads to touch-ups. I also tried a few decorative ideas that I didn’t like and needed touching over.

Overall – really pleased with how it came out and the paint color choices. Ran me about $75 (NYC suburban prices plus I splurged on paint going with two colors + sample pots).